Her Little Flower
by Herochick007
Summary: Voldemort has won. Ron and Harry are dead, Hermione is on the run. Trying to escape the snatchers one night she encounters a strange little girl, a girl who has a broken time turner around her neck, a girl who says Hermione needs to find someone, the girl's father, in order to save the world. Who is the child? Is she who she claims? And who is this mysterious man?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I don't own Harry Potter

"Get away! Get out of here," Hermione yelled looking over her shoulder. She could see their shadows coming closer. The small girl standing in front of her didn't move. Hermione continued to shout until she reached the girl.

"Come on," she whispered grabbing her and holding her arms. Her running slowed with the added weight of the child, but she didn't stop. She couldn't stop. Finally out of breath, she sunk to the ground. The child started to cry.

"Shh, it's alright little one. It's alright," she whispered crawling behind a large tree trunk. She heard their footsteps pass by, heard them yelling. She held her breath hoping the child would manage to stay quiet until they were past. Silence filled the air for a moment and Hermione waited, hoping they were safe. When there were no sounds for another few minutes, she sighed in relief and looked down at the child in her arms.

"I think they're gone," she told the child. The girl snuggled against Hermione and closed her eyes. "Now, let's find out where you belong. I'm sure your parents are looking for you." Hermione rose to her feet. She gently set the girl down and looked around. She didn't see anyone.

"Can you walk?" The girl sat down in the mud and looked up at Hermione.

"I'll take that as a 'no'. Alright, here we go," she muttered picking the girl back up. She looked at the child, at her dark eyes and brown hair. The girl's clothing was splattered with mud, but she was wearing a dark colored jumper. There was a letter on the front, but Hermione couldn't read it between the dark and the fact it was half hidden by mud. She thought it might be a P or maybe a B?

"Do you know your name?" she asked as she walked. Her shoes squelched in the mud as she walked. The girl didn't answer.

"Do you know where your mummy and daddy are?" Again there was no answer. They reached a clearing and Hermione looked up at the full moon hanging over them.

"Good thing that wasn't Greyback chasing us, he's a werewolf. He would have found us by sense of smell." The child yawned and laid her head against Hermione's shoulder. Her dark eyes closed and she was asleep in a matter of seconds. Hermione wondered where the nearest town was, she was in the middle of the woods. She blinked. The middle of the woods... what was this girl doing here? Where had she come from? She shook her head. She'd have time to figure that out later, right now, she needed to find somewhere safe. Somewhere she could spend the day, safe once the sun rose. Tears pricked her eyes as she thought about everything she'd lost. Her friends were dead, murdered by Lord Voldemort. He was in power now and she... she was public enemy number one. She'd been lucky to get away from the snatchers tonight. Where had the girl come from? She was too young to be out on her own!

Hermione felt as though her feet might fall off before they found shelter. It was only as the sun started to peek above the horizon she saw it. It was a small cliff. She held her breath hoping there would be a cave, or an alcove, anything to hide them. The girl stirred in her arms slightly. In the early morning light, she could see the child a little better. She had pale skin with a splattering of freckles across her face. Her hair was brown and straight. The jumper was green with a white letter on the front. Hermione thought it almost looked like a Weasley jumper. She followed the cliff face until she did find a small cave. Once she confirmed it was thankfully empty, she walked inside and sat down. The girl raised her head and looked around. She looked at Hermione, who gently sat her down on the floor.

"There, now we're safe. Let's see if we can figure out who you are." The girl blinked her dark eyes a few times looking around the cave and then at Hermione.

"Mummy?"

"No, I don't know where your mummy is, do you know your name? Here, let's see if we can get some of this dirt off your jumper." Hermione started brushing the dirt off glad it had dried somewhat.

"So, it's an R. Does that mean your name begins with R? How old are you?" The girl raised her hand and raised three fingers.

"Three, you're three?" The girl nodded.

"Mummy, hungry!" the girl cried. Hermione pulled out her bag and opened it.

"My name's Hermione. Do you like apples? I have an apple?" she said handing the fruit to the girl. She took it and took a small bite. Hermione smiled pulling out a small knife as well. "Here, let me cut it a bit so you can eat it easier. Not too small, wouldn't want you to choke. Here you go, that's it, chew it up please." Hermione pulled out another apple and took a bite. As she watched the little girl eat, something shiny around the girl's neck caught her attention. She reached over and pulled a gold chain from under her jumper revealing the remnants of a time turner. She gasped dropping it.

"A time turner. You're wearing a time turner, well, what's left of one. Who are you? Is that how you got here? Where are you from?" Hermione paused thinking for a moment. "When are you from..." she whispered staring at the child. The girl smiled taking another bite of apple.

"Someone sent you here, didn't they? But why? Why send a child back in time, it has to be back, they don't go forward..." The girl looked up at Hermione and crawled into her lap.

"How did you get here? Who sent you?" When the girl didn't answer, Hermione realized she probably didn't understand the questions. She decided it might work to change questions.

"Who gave you the pretty necklace?"

"Mummy."

"Your mummy gave you the necklace? Did she say anything?"

"No."

"Do you know your name? If you're three, you should know your name..."

"F'ower! I Mummy's f'ower!"

"Flower? Is your name 'Flower'? Then why is there an 'R' on your jumper?"

"Mummy's lil f'ower!" Hermione nodded. If the girl wanted to be called 'Flower' who was she to object.

"Alright, Flower, your mummy gave you the necklace, didn't say anything. Do you know why she gave the necklace?"

"No."

"Was it broken when she gave it to you?" Flower pulled out the time turner and looked at it. She shook her head.

"No. No broke. Where Daddy?"

"I don't know."

"I need find Daddy! Mummy say Daddy know to save us," Flower said.

"Flower, do you know their names? Their first names, their surnames? Do you know your surname?" Flower shook her head and ate her last bite of apple.

"We find Daddy, Mummy?"

"Hermione, Flower, my name is Hermione, not Mummy. We can't leave the cave until it's dark, it's too dangerous during the day. Do you know where your Daddy would be? Where we can find him?"

"Daddy at work," Flower answered picking up a stick off the floor and drawing in the dirt with it. Hermione watched her for a moment.

"Where does your daddy work, Flower?"

"'Ogwarts! He teacher!" she exclaimed crawling out of Hermione's lap and standing up to reach further in the dirt with her stick. Hermione blinked. If Flower's dad taught at Hogwarts, was he there now, or would he be there in the future. Hogwarts was a prison, a death sentence for someone like her. There was no way she could infiltrate it, not unless she wanted to die, or worse, get caught.

"Flower, we can't go there, it's too dangerous. I don't know what things are like where you come from, but here, it's really bad. There's a bad man who has taken over the world. I don't understand why your mummy would have sent you back there, to now."

"Because, you need meet Daddy!" Flower nodded solemnly. "Mummy go 'Ogwarts, meet Daddy, save worl."

"Why do I need to meet your daddy? Who is your mummy?" Flower blinked at her and pointed the stick at Hermione's chest.

"Mummy!"

"Flower, I am not your mummy. My name is Hermione, can you say 'Hermione'?"

"Miney?" Hermione sighed.

"Close enough, Flower." Hermione shifted slightly leaning her head against the cave wall.

"Mummy sleep now?" Hermione yawned trying to keep her eyes open. She hadn't slept in several days, but she couldn't leave Flower unattended. She pulled out a wand, not hers, and started setting several wards. Flower watched her.

"These are wards, they should keep us safe. I'm sorry, Flower, I wish I could send you home, but I don't think I can. I wish I knew what you were doing here, why your mummy sent you," Hermione whispered as Flower erased her dirt picture and started drawing again. Hermione closed her eyes for a second, even just a few seconds of sleep would keep her sane for a few more days. She needed a new plan, the current one wouldn't work with Flower in the picture. What was she supposed to do with the girl? She couldn't keep her with her, it was too dangerous. The idea of leaving her somewhere was just as dangerous. There were few people she could trust at the moment, and of those, even fewer who would hide the child no questions asked. She could apparate, but they could trace that.

"Mummy?"

"I am not your mummy," Hermione muttered blinking her eyes open. Flower was standing in front of her. "What do you need Flower?"

"Potty."

"Right, alright, um, here, over here," she said leading Flower to a corner of the cave. "Do you need help with your pants?"

"Yes." Hermione helped Flower pull her pants and knickers down. She realized she was glad the child wasn't wearing a nappy. That made things a little easier maybe?

"I done!" Flower announced. Hermione helped the child redress and walked her back to the opening of the cave where they had been camping.

"Why sad, Mummy?"

"I'm not sad, Flower, I'm trying to figure out what to do. You can't stay with me, it's too dangerous, but I don't know where I can put you where you'd be safe." Flower hugged Hermione tightly.

"Stay with Mummy."

"I am not... Wait, your mummy looks like me?"

"You Mummy!" Hermione stared at the girl. It wasn't possible. This girl was her daughter from the future? She survived this war?

"You said your mummy sent you back here, to now because I need to meet your daddy. Flower, do you have anything in your pockets?" The girl shrugged and Hermione quickly checked her pockets. She pulled out a photo of Flower and herself. She didn't look too much older in the picture, maybe five years older? Two years? Two years until she and some mystery man had a daughter?

"Alright, Flower. You said we need to find your daddy at Hogwarts. This is going to be stupid, dangerous, and right now it's the only idea we have. We'll move tonight. I can apparate closer than this, they'll track us, but I'm hoping the inherent magic of Hogwarts will help hide us."

"Can't parate on 'Ogwarts grounds," Flower recited. Hermione bit back a hint of a laugh. It could all still be a trick, a trap of some sort, but Flower reciting _Hogwarts: A History_, only seemed to solidify the girl's claim.

"I'm going to close my eyes for a few minutes, Flower. Stay right here, wake me if see anything, I mean it."

"Yes, Mummy." Hermione didn't even bother correcting her this time. She had only had her eyes closed a few moments when she felt Flower shaking her awake.

"What's wrong?!" she asked looking around quickly.

"Hungry," Flower stated. Hermione sighed in relief.

"Lunch it is then. Here let's see, I've got some bread and hard cheese, will you eat either of those?"

"Bread," Flower answered. Hermione handed her half the loaf. They ate in silence while Hermione thought of the best way to gain access to Hogwarts. She wasn't even sure who she was supposed to be meeting, would he be expecting her? Did he even work there yet, or was he a student? She tried to think of those who she knew that were there, but couldn't. Muggle-borns weren't allowed anymore. Pure-bloods were given higher status. Everything that Umbridge had started her fifth year was reinstated. It was horrible, students were tortured, beaten, hexed. She knew the professors were against it, but they had very little power anymore. She was pretty sure Professor McGonagall was dead. No one had heard anything from her in nearly three months. She didn't have any allies on the inside, and she was going in pretty much blind. The only thing she knew was the layout of the castle, for what good it did her.

"Mummy, you find Daddy. You save worl," Flower said finishing the bread.

"I'll try, Flower. I don't even know who your daddy is, he's not in this picture. How am I supposed to know who he is. What does your daddy look like?" she asked pulling Flower into her lap and holding the girl. "Tell me everything you can remember about him, alright, Flower?"

"Okay, Mummy."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I don't own anything except Flower and the plot. **

**Don't forget to review, your reviews help keep the story going!**

"An Daddy is good at potions, an he makes things pretty colors, and he picked me up an we flew!" Flower chattered. She'd been chattering about her father for nearly half an hour. So far, Hermione had only gleamed a bit of information about Flower's father. He was tall, good at potions, taught at Hogwarts in five years time, and Flower loved him. Not much to go on if she really thought about it. Of course, Flower wasn't the most reliable of sources for information. The three year old had also told her that sometimes her father was a dragon and breathed fire.

"Are we going to go find Daddy now?" Flower asked. Hermione shook her head. She didn't even know if the wizard would be at Hogwarts now. Just because he was teaching there in the future didn't mean he was there now. But at the moment, it was the only idea she had.

"Not yet, Flower. It's still too light out. Here why don't you take a nap so you'll be awake tonight when we leave?'

"I don't like naps," Flower stated sticking out her lower lip in a pout. Hermione tried not to laugh at how cute the girl was.

"Alright, no nap, here, come sit with me," Hermione offered putting the girl in her lap. Flower's head laid against her. Hermione brushed a strand of hair from the girl's face. Softly she started to hum a lullaby her own mum had sung her. Within minutes, the child was asleep.

"There we go. You sleep, Flower, we've got a long night ahead of us," Hermione whispered. While the child slept, Hermione mentally ran through every single passage she knew about, all the ones Harry had shown her on the map. She knew she might be able to use one of them, if they weren't guarded, or worse, destroyed.

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

Hermione watched the shadows in the cave grow until they were gone completely. She sighed in relief. Nighttime, finally, had arrived.

"Flower, darling, time to wake up," she whispered shifting slightly. The girl opened her eyes.

"Mummy?"

"It's time to get moving, Flower. I'm going to carry you, alright. The ground outside is uneven and I don't want you to fall and get hurt." Flower nodded and allowed Hermione to scoop her up.

"Can I shouler ride?" Flower asked.

"I'm sorry, Flower, but not right now. I need my wand hand free just in case," Hermione explained.

"Oh right. We're gonna go find Daddy now?"

"We're going to try, Flower. I don't know how far we'll get. Hold on tightly, I'm going to Apparate us closer to Hogwarts. You might feel a bit sick to your tummy," Hermione whispered holding Flower tightly. The world swirled around them.

"We're here, Flower. We're about a mile from Hogwarts, close as I'm willing to get. I'm going to be moving fast, Flower, so hold on tightly alright?"

"Okay Mummy," Flower agreed as Hermione started walking quickly. She wasn't sure she could run, hold onto Flower, and keep her wand hand free all at the same time.

"I wouldn't happen to have told a secret entrance did I?" Hermione half joked pausing for a moment.

"Secret en'tance?"

"A secret way into Hogwarts?"

"Daddy turns into a dragon and flies in!" Flower exclaimed.

"I can't turn into a dragon, Flower."

"Oh, right. Mummy can't be a dragon like Daddy."

"So how do I sneak into the castle?"

"One time you and Daddy hid in the underwater tunnel and that's where I came from!" Flower added gleefully. Hermione turned and stared at the child.

"Underwater tunnel? There's nothing like that on Harry's map. Come on, time to keep moving. Do you know how to get into the tunnel?" Hermione asked as she picked up Flower and started walking again.

"I'm not allowed in the tunnel, I can't swim."

"It's in the lake?"

"Yes! See you 'member! Now you can find Daddy and save the worl an live appily ever apple!" Flower laughed. Hermione smiled.

"Shh," she whispered. Flower fell silent. Hermione froze listening. A twig snapped nearby. Hermione tensed.

"Flower, hold tight, I'm going to run." Flower nodded as Hermione picked up the pace until she was flat out running over the uneven ground. She now had a destination. The Black Lake. That had to be where the entrance was, if she could reach the lake... She wasn't sure what then. She couldn't breathe underwater, Flower couldn't swim, but it was something at least.

She slowed slightly, listening to see if anyone was following her. Once she determined there wasn't, she stopped taking a deep breath.

"Are we okay, Mummy?"

"We're fine, Flower. I think maybe it was just a squirrel," she whispered. "The lake is right over there," she nodded in a direction.

"I can't swim."

"I know, Flower, but there's no going back now. We've come this far, and I can't risk using my magic like that again. I think this might be our only chance, Flower. Do you have any ideas? How do I hold my breath to swim to the tunnel?"

"I dunno," Flower answered.

"Maybe it's not too far down then. Do I eat anything before I go swimming?"

"No. You just dive in!"

"So, nothing special. I can't leave you on the shore, Flower. Can you hold your breath?" Flower nodded excitedly.

"Let's go then. You'll have to show me exactly where I just in though, can you do that?"

"Yes! It's by the big tree. You and Daddy carved your nitials into it with a heart." Hermione smiled slightly. She loved someone enough to have his and her initials carved into a tree together.

"Flower, where does the tunnel lead?" she asked a thought popping into her head.

"Daddy's common room," Flower answered. Hermione felt the blood drain from her face.

"Flower, is your daddy as Slytherin?"

"He's head of Slytherin house! We're gonna go find him now?"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I still don't own Hermione or any characters you recognize. Flower is my own creation. **

**Don't forget to read and review. This chapter does have a hint as to who the father is, and yes some of you have made some very good, and possibly accurate guesses!**

Hermione stared at the lake. She married a Slytherin? She was going to swim into a secret passage that would lead her straight to the Slytherin common room, the worst possible place for her and Flower at the moment. She wanted to grab the child, close her eyes, and apparate anywhere else than here. But they were here, and she was seriously considering taking a secret passage straight into the Slytherin common room.

"Mummy? You kay?"

"I'm fine, Flower. It's just, the Slytherins don't like me very much right now." Flower blinked her eyes.

"Cause of the war?"

"Yes, because of the war. I wish I had an invisibility cloak," Hermione whispered glancing around. She knew this was her best shot, knew she really didn't have a choice. It was this or keep running and hiding for the rest of her, and Flower's, lives.

"Okay, get ready, Flower. Take a deep breath, hold it tight," she whispered wrapping her arms around the child and diving into the lake.

The water was icy around them, but Hermione swam quickly looking for anything that could be the passage. Flower pulled her hair and pointed. There was a large rock formation. Hermione nodded diving down a little further and towards the stones. There was a crack between two rocks. Hermione hugged Flower tightly and swam into the crevice. There the water was much lower. Once inside, she surfaced pulling Flower into the air. They both took a deep breath. Hermione looked around.

"You alright?"

"Yes. I think we go that way!" Flower said excitedly pointing towards a dim light. Hermione nodded swimming in the direction Flower had pointed. Soon they found themselves in a cave, the water ended and Hermione stood on the stone ground. The dim light was coming from a lit torch.

"Someone knows about this cave, Flower."

"Yes, Daddy!" Hermione blinked wondering if the mysterious man she was meeting knew she was coming. The idea made her head hurt slightly, time travel always did that if she thought too much about it. She'd had a low grade headache the entire summer after her third year and the whole mess with Sirius Black.

"Flower, is this the door?" she asked pointing to a stone shape.

"Yes, but I dunno the password," Flower answered. Hermoine sighed. She'd gotten this far, only to be missing the one piece of vital information that could match her with the one person who could help her.

"At least we're safe here for now. There's light, no one is going to be looking for us here," Hermione stated sitting down against the wall. Flower sat in her lap.

"Don't be sad, Mummy. Daddy will find us, he knows bout the cave!" Hermione gave the child a smile.

"I'm sure he will," she answered trying not to cry. She hugged the girl tightly. "Why don't we rest for a bit?" she suggested. Running and then swimming had tired her out a fair bit. Flower was already nuzzling against her, her dark eyes closing.

"Good night, my little Flower," she whispered, yawning and trying to keep her eyes open herself. She lost the battle and her eyelids drooped, her head bobbed, and within minutes she was sound asleep. She was so sound asleep, she didn't hear the rock door slide open and someone step into the cave. She didn't wake as he watched her and Flower sleep, or when he sat down on the ground across from her. He brushed a stand of his brown hair from his face and smiled.

"I'm glad you finally made it," he whispered watching the pair sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I don't own Harry Potter**

**Warning: this chapter contains mention of a murder. **

The sun had started to rise over the lake making the whole body of water orange and yellow. Inside the cave, Hermione didn't see the light, but something in her started to stir. The lights in the cave slowly went out one by one as the daylight grew. Flower yawned looking around. The cave was fairly dim again, but there was enough light to make out shapes. Her dark eyes widened as she saw the wizard leaning against the wall.

"Daddy!" she exclaimed. Hermione jolted awake quickly, her wand instantly in her hand.

"Mummy, we safe, member? Daddy's found us, we safe!" Flower sang as Hermione tried to make her eyes focus.

"Take a moment. I'm willing to bet you're beyond exhausted. You're safe here, Hermione, I promise. You can stay exactly where you are and I'll stay right here. Does that sound good?"

"Yes," Hermione agreed. She didn't relax the grip on her wand. "I can't see you very well. It's not very bright in here," she added. "You promise you don't want to hurt us?"

"I could never hurt you. And I don't know who this little one is, but I promise not to hurt her either."

"Okay, I'm going to have to trust you. Flower, are you certain this is your daddy?"

"Yes, Mummy!"

"Right, this is Flower, she's apparently my daughter, our daughter, from the future. My future self sent her back to this time to help us save the world apparently. Now, step into the light so I can see you," Hermione ordered. The idea that she was about to meet the man she was going to marry, to have a child with, shook her. Slowly she could see his form rise and heard him take a step. Her hand trembled slightly.

"Why are you even here?"

"Because, I knew I needed to be here. There was note in a book, saying I needed to keep an eye on the cave. I'm willing to bet you did it, from the future somehow? Time travel gives me a headache," he admitted. Hermione took a deep breath as he finally emerged from the shadows. For a brief moment, her breath caught in her chest. She wasn't exactly sure who she was expecting to see, part of her had nearly expected to Professor Snape, but this, this was a million times better.

"Theo?" she whispered lowering her wand slightly.

"Yes,"he answered stepping fulling into the light. Hermione couldn't help but feel a sense of relief, of amazement seeing Theo Nott standing before her.

"See, Daddy, and Mummy, and me!" Flower announced running over to Theo, grabbing his hand and pulling him all the way over to Hermione. Hermione blushed slightly as Theo looked at the ground.

"So, apparently we're going to save the world, together?"

"Apparently," Hermione answered. "Got any idea how?" she asked looking at Theo.

"Actually, I do," he replied. Hermione stared at him in shock.

"What? Did my future self leave that information too?"

"I wish, no, I'm part of an underground, very underground resistance movement. There's not a lot of us, but it's a start. You two must be starving, I can go get you something to eat."

"Yay! Daddy get's food," Flower cheered. Theo watched her for a moment.

"She calls me 'Mummy', get used to it, Theo. And how are you going to get us breakfast without anyone knowing?"

"Simple," Theo answered pointing to the rock door. "I'll go back to the common room, have a house elf bring me breakfast, and then bring it to you two. You'll have to stay here in the cave, but I promise it's safe."

"Who else knows about it?" Hermione asked.

"Me, you, Professor Snape, don't worry, he's on our side, and I think maybe Professor Slughorn? None of the Death Eaters or their kids know."

"Why?"

"Why don't they know or why am I not on their side."

"Yes."

"Because it's not on any maps and I think it only appears when it needs to exist. I'm not on their side because of what they did to my sister."

"You have a sister?"

"Had. She was a squib, a few years older than me. They murdered her, Hermione. During the first war, she was murdered. Now, I'm going to make sure that doesn't happen to anyone else. Breakfast?"

"Yes, please," Hermione answered giving Theo a grateful smile. She wasn't sure how they would end up together, but for now, she at least was willing to trust him.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I don't own Harry Potter**

**Warning: This chapter does mention death of a major character and some slight torture. **

Theo kept his word and returned a little bit later carrying a plate of fruit, muffins, and a bottle of flavored water.

"I couldn't get much more than this, but at least it's something."

"Thank you," Hermione said. Flower was already shoving her mouth full of fruit. Hermione took a muffin. Theo sat down on the ground next to her.

"Guess we've got a few things to talk about," Theo stated.

"More than a few," Hermione agreed. "Should I start, or you?"

"Why don't you start? You were there, when... he killed..."

"Yeah, it was horrible. The worst night of our lives. We'd been on the run, Harry, Ron and I. Got caught by snatchers. That was, it was a mistake. There's a taboo on his name."

"I knew about that actually. So, one of you said it."

"Harry, I think it was Harry. I don't remember any more," Hermione whispered, tears glistening in her eyes. Theo put his hand on hers.

"You don't have to continue. I know it must be hard for you."

"No, you need to know everything, right? That's the only way we're going to figure out how to win this thing?"

"We can't win this war if you're mentally unable to fight," Theo stated. Hermione gave him a weak smile.

"I dwink water?" Flower asked.

"Sure, go ahead, Flower. Here, let me open it for you," Theo offered, handing the girl the bottle after unscrewing the cap.

"She's really ours?" Theo asked.

"It appears so, she has a photo of me and her, from the future. So far, I've got no reason to doubt her story. No, she doesn't know how we manage to save the world and end the war. I asked."

"How old is she?"

"Three," Hermione answered. "Where was I?"

"Snatchers."

"Right, we were taken to Malfoy Manor. That's where he was. I think he wanted to make a show of it. We were shackled, hanging against a wall. Bellatrix was there. She... she had a knife," Hermione continued. Theo squeezed her hand.

"Draco was there too. He tried to lie, or at least keep them from realizing it was us. Whose side is he on anyway?"

"I don't know. He's taken the Mark, but I'm not sure where his true alligence lies. I know his parents are, or at least were, part of his inner circle."

"I know about the Mark. We saw it sixth year. At the manor, You Know Who started talking, questioning Harry about his wand. I didn't understand most of it. Apparently He didn't like Harry's answers. He got mad, really mad. He raised his wand. Harry was unarmed. I think they took our wands when we were taken. There was flash. Everything was in slow motion. It was green. I never thought... Harry was dead. Draco was told to get rid of the body. Ron was next. He was trying to protect me, he jumped in front of the knife. Bellatrix was the one who threw it. I don't remember anything else about that night. I woke up outside. The tip of my left ear missing."

"You apparated?"

"That's the only thing I can think of. I must have apparated, slinched myself, and that's when I started running. I found Flower about a month later. Your turn, Theo. What's been happening on the other side of this war?"


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I still don't own anything you recognize. **

"Nothing as drastic as what you've been through. There's been more murders, more people being tortured. Professor Snape is head master now. He'd been keeping some sort of secret peace. He is on our side, Hermione. I don't know why, nor do I really care, but he's some sort of spy. Dumbledore's Army is still going strong, but we're afraid to reach out to any of them," Theo explained. Flower was sitting in his lap at the moment.

Hermione nodded, watching the child. She wondered if they figured this out, if they really did win, what would happen to her? Would she cease to exist or would she still be right here right now because time travel?

"Keeping the secret alliance a secret, right. Do you know anything about horcruxes?" she asked. She didn't know how much Theo knew about the things Dumbledore had told Harry. Harry was supposed to have kept them secret... telling Hermione and Ron hadn't counted.

"Yes, Professor Snape told us about that. He told us that you know who had split his soul and that's why he's unable to die. According to him, four have been destroyed?" he asked, looking at Hermione.

"The ring, diary, cup, and locket," Hermione answered. "That leaves three Dumbledore said he thought you know who split his soul into sevenths before he died."

"Hmm, the snake could be one. But what about the other two?"

"Part of it has to still be in him, so that would be one of them. The other things, the cup, locket and ring, they all belonged to the founders," Hermione said.

"That leaves... Ravenclaw?" Theo asked, thinking about the history lessons he'd never paid attention to.

"Yes. What could her item have been?"

"Cwown," Flower answered from Theo's lap. She made a circle with hands and put it over her head.

"A crown?" Hermione asked, looking at Flower. "Why do you think it's a crown?" she asked. Theo looked down at Flower also.

"Rwavencaw's lost didim, cwown," Flower answered, climbing out of Theo's lap and drawing a circle wearing an elaborate looking crown on the floor. "In 'Ogwarts Istory," she added, pointing to the picture. Hermoine's eyes widened at the same time Theo's mouth fell open.

"Rowena Ravenclaw's lost diadem," they chorus, both remembering the picture of the founder wearing said diadem.

"That's what it must be, but where is it?" Hermione asked, looking at Theo. He shook his head.

"I have no idea. I know some people that though. I've got to get back inside before someone comes looking for me. You two are safe here, I'll make sure you get some lunch and something to do, or I could sneak you into the castle? I heard the D. A has a secret hiding place?" he offered.

"This is fine for now, Theo. I wouldn't want to do anything that might jeopardize your efforts, especially since apparently you and I are going to win this war somehow," Hermione said, giving Theo a warm smile.

"Right. I'll ask some people about the diadem, people I know won't ask questions. I think I might be able to send a house elf with some food and books?"

"And something for Flower?"

"I'm sure we can find something for her," he added, rustling Flower's hair.

"Daddy has to go work now?" Flower asked.

"Yes, I've got to go do some work, you'll be good?"

"I be good for Mummy," Flower agreed, as Theo gave the two witches a smile before opening the sliding wall, stepping through and letting it close behind him.


End file.
